21 Continuances

Judges can push back or delay court hearings, but they can't just do it without a reason. If a hearing gets postponed, the judge has to explain, either in writing or out loud in court, why the delay makes sense. Good reasons include things like protecting the child's best interests, giving people time to gather evidence or find witnesses, protecting someone's legal rights, or other good cause.

There's one big exception to this: the annual permanency hearing. This is the hearing that checks in on a child's long-term plan while they're in foster care. This hearing has to happen at least once every 12 months, no matter what. Courts cannot delay it past that 12-month mark, even if there seems to be a good reason. This rule makes sure kids in foster care get a regular check on their situation and don't get stuck waiting indefinitely for a decision about their future.